NCAA Basketball: Analyzing 2021 PG Wade Taylor’s fit with final 5 teams

Top-150 NCAA Basketball prospect Wade Taylor has a group of programs to choose from. Which of them is the best potential fit?

Among the high number of class of 2021 NCAA Basketball prospects announcing shortened lists this Summer, Lancaster High School point guard Wade Taylor IV has recently done the same. There are five power conference programs in play for the top-150 playmaker, who could make the ultimate decision before the start of the 2020-21 season.

It can be hard for players outside of the top-tier to get national attention out of the state of Texas, but Taylor’s solid and consistent play has local teams very interested. Rated in the top-150 overall, the 6’0 playmaker is an all-around talent who plays tough defense and can facilitate the offense.

He may not be ready to start as a freshman for power conference programs out the gate but Taylor can easily be a solid rotational piece at first, before eventually getting promoted as a starter in future years. But we’ve seen plenty of Texas prospects fly under the radar in recruiting services before breaking out as national stars. So teams involved in this process are hoping they can get a hidden gem in Taylor.

So which one of these teams can land the ball-handler to help solidify their respective 2021 recruiting class? Point guards in the top-200 are flying off the shelf, so this represents one of the last chances to land a potential impact freshman. Here’s a look at his potential fit with each contender.

Iowa State Cyclones

Remember Tyrese Haliburton? He actually was ranked lower than Taylor according to 247sportsComposite in the 2018 recruiting class (No. 172 overall). In two seasons, he blossomed into an All-Big 12 player and likely lottery pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Coach Prohm’s work in developing guards is well known, including Penn State transfer Rasir Bolton becoming a star guard in his own right.

It makes sense for point guards to high a high interest in Iowa State. But there already are plenty of guards on the roster, including Memphis transfer Tyler Harris, three-star freshman Jaden Walker, and top-100 class of 2021 commit Tyrese Hunter. This is a scenario where Taylor may struggle to get on the court in the first couple of years, especially if Hunter outplays him for minutes.